Brake.



F. N. ROBINSON. A

BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1911.

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BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1911.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

2 SHEBTS-SHEBT 2.

FRANK N. ROBINSON, 0F WAYLAND, NE\V YORK.

BRAKE.

Specification of LettersPatent. Application filed July 24, 1911.

Patented Jan. 16,1912. Serial No. 640,302.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FRANK N. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at lVayland, in the county of Steuben and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brakes, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in brakes designed primarily forhand-trucks.

The object of the invention is to provide convenient and economicalmeans for applying the brakes to the wheels of a truck by raising orlowering the handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide means associated withthe handle of a truck, whereby when the operator releases hold on thehandle, the weight of the latter will apply the brakes to the wheels andhold the truck in position against movement by an accidental knock, orthe effect of the wind.

The invention also relates to improvements in the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafterdescribed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a truck, illustratingthe application of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, the platformof the truck being removed. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of thebraking mechanism. Fig. 4is a side elevation of the front portion of atruck but illustrating the position of the parts when the brake isapplied by elevating the, handle.

The numeral 1, indicates a truck including the wheels 2 and 2*, frontand rear axles, 3 and 4, running gear 5, and platform 6. Projecting fromthe front axle 3,

are two cars 7, and pivotally connected thereto by pins. 8, are thebifurcated ends 9 of hounds 10. To the front of the hounds is secured ahandle 11, at the free end of which is a hand grip 12. Permanentlysecured to the upper side of the handle is a cross bar 13, to the rearedge of which is fastened a flat leaf spring 14, the ends thereofextending laterally and terminating in aplane with the outer edges ofthe front Wheels of the truck. To the ends of the fiat leaf spring arefastened brake shoes 1616, adapted to engage the peripheries of thefront wheels.

It will be observed that the shoes are located just above the horizontalplane of the center of the front wheels so as to frictionally engage thelatter when the handle is depressed, either by its own weight, or bypressure exerted b the operator. This position of the brake shoes,coupled with the location of the pivot pins 8, will cause a yielding butbinding action on the wheels and effectually serve to hold the truckagainst movement. A cable 19, is secured to the opposite ends of theflat leaf spring 14. This cable passes around rollers 20, whereby toequalize the pressure of the brake shoes when applying the front brakes.The rollers 20, are slightly above the horizontal plane of the attachingpoints of the opposite ends of the cable to the fiat leaf spring, so asto exert a rearward pull to apply the shoes when the handle is lowered.

F astened to the running gear 5, and ex tending under the front axle 3,and forwardly therefrom is a flat leaf spring 25, formed at its free endwith an eye 26. Attached to the rear side of the flat leaf spring 14,and near the ends thereof is a cable 27 which extends rearwardly andthrough the eye 26, in the forwardly projecting fiat leaf spring 25. Theeye 26, is positioned below the point of attachment of the cable 27, sothat when the handle 11, is elevated, the flat leaf spring 14, will bedrawn rearwardly and apply the brake shoes to the front wheels. By thisconstruction, a double yielding action takes place, 2'. 6., the flatleaf springs 14 and 25, so that when the attendant lifts the handle withunusual force liability of breaking of the parts is reduced to aminimum.

A swiveled pulley 30, is mounted on the cross bar 13, and passing aroundthis pulley is a cable 31. The cable extends up under the platform 6,and passes through guides 32, and thence rearwardly, where it connectswith a pull rod 33. The pull rod 33, is mounted in a forward guide 34,secured to the underside of the platform, and a guide opening 35*,formed in the rear bolster of the truck. The rear end of the pull rod33, is pivoted to the vertical member of a bell crank lever 37, hingedat 38, to the underside of the platform. The bell crank lever is formedwith an opening 39, in rear of the pivoted point, through which extendsa cross bar 40, on the free ends of which are brake with the wheels.

' of the cables 27.

shoes 41, for the rear wheels. The brake shoes 41, are secured to flatleaf springs 42, fastened to the underside of the platform, and aretensioned to normally remove the shoes from contact with the peripheriesof the rear wheels. A leaf spring 42 is interposed between the bellcrank lever and the rear bolster to return the parts to normal position.

A hand lever 15 is pivoted to the horizontalmember of the bell cranklever 37. When not in use, this lever is turned on its pivot, so as toposition it under the platform and out of the way. But if an attendantin the rear of the truck desires to apply the brakes, from the rear, thehandle will be turned to bring it in alinement with the horizontalmember of the bell crank lever, whereby the leverage is increased andthe brakes may applied with little effort.

In operation, the attendant may depress the handle 11, and by reason ofthe location of the pivots 8, the front shoes will be moved toward theperipheries of the frontwheels. In addition to this action the cable 19,exerts a pull on the flat leaf spring 14, which quickly draws the shoesinto contact with the wheels and applies the brakes. Obviously the pullon the cable pulls against the normal tension of the flat spring, sothat immediately the handle 11, is raised, the flat spring will returnto its normal position and automatically remove the shoes from contactUnder ordinary circumstances, the weight of the handle and the hand gripwill effect a binding action of the brake shoes on the wheels so thatonce the truck is located it cannot be moved without releasing thebrakes. When the handle is lowered, it pulls on the cable 31, hence thepull rod 33, which through the medium of the bell crank lever 37,depresses the rear brake shoes 41, and they frictionallv engage theperipheries of the rear wheels. This action of course occurssimultaneously with the application of the brakes on the front wheels.If the attendant finds it more convenient to apply the brakes byelevating the handle 11, as for instance when backing the truck, thehandle is raised, and the flat leaf spring is pulled rearwardly by thepull The action of the cables 27, is exactly the same as that previouslydescribed in connection with the cables, ex cept that the flat leafspring will yield when excess pressure is applied in the braking action,or when raising the handle to lock it to the truck in elevated position,by the hook and eye 50 and 51.

The invention is extremely simple in construction, and by the peculiararrangement of the parts will not become out of order.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a truck including wheels, running gear and a pivotedhandle,

a flat leaf spring secured to the handle, shoes at or near the ends ofthe fiat leaf spring to engage the peripheries of the front wheels ofthe truck, cables connecting the flat leaf spring to the running gear,one of the cables extending rearwardly and upwardly above the plane ofthe point of attachment to the fiat leaf spring, the other cables beingsecured at their rear ends below the point of attachment to the flatleaf spring, whereby when the handle is raised the cables will pull theshoes into contact with the wheels, and whereby when the handle islowered the other cable will pull the shoes into contact with saidwheels.

2. In combination, a truck including wheels, running gear, and a pivotedhandle, a flat leaf spring secured to the handle, shoes at or near theends of the flat leaf spring to engage the peripheries of the frontwheels of the truck, a cable connecting the flat leaf spring to therunning gear, guides for said cable, said guides being in a differenthorizontal plane than the point of attachment of the front ends of thecable to the flat leaf spring.

3. In combination, a truck including wheels, running gear, and a pivotedhandle, a flat leaf spring secured to the handle, shoes at or near theends of the fiat leaf spring to engage the peripheries of the frontwheels of the truck, cables connecting the flat leaf spring to therunning gear, certain of said cables extending rearwardly and below theplane of the flat leaf springs, a flat spring to which said cable isattached, the other cable extending upwardly and rearwardly of said flatleaf spring, guides for the latter cable, said guides secured to the running gear, whereby when the handle is raised or lowered the brake shoeswill be applied.

4. In combination, a truck including a platform, front and rear wheels,running gear, and a pivoted handle, a transversely mounted flatleafspring secured to the pivoted handle, shoes on the ends of the flatleaf spring, a flexible connection between the flat leaf spring and therunning gear, shoes for the rear wheels, yielding supports for the shoesfor the rear wheels, a bell crank lever for rocking the rear brakeshoes, a connection between the pivoted handle and the bell crank lever,and a swiveled guide on the pivoted handle through which the saidconnection passes, whereby when the handle is rocked on its pivot, thefront and rear brake shoes will be simultaneously applied to the wheels.

5. In combination, a truck including wheels, running gear, and a pivotedhandle, brake shoes carried by the handle, resilient mountings for thebrake shoes, and means connecting the resilient mounting and the truckfor exerting a pull on the resilient mountings to cause the brake shoesto engage the wheels when the pivoted handle is rocked. l

6. In combination, a truck including wheels, running gear, and a pivotedhandle, a forwardly projecting flat leaf spring secured to the runninggear, a flat leaf spring secured to the pivoted handle, brake shoessecured to the flat leaf spring, and a flexible connection between thetwo flat leaf springs, whereby when the handle is rocked on its pivotthe brake shoes will be applied to the wheels.

7. In combination, a truck including Wheels, and a pivoted handle, aflat leaf spring secured to the handle, shoes at the ends of the springfor engaging the periphery of the front wheels, and a cable having itsends connected to the leaf spring and passing through guides carried bythe truck, substantially as shown and described.

8. In combination, a truck including wheels, running gear and a pivotedhandle, a brake beam secured to the handle, shoes carried by the end ofsad brake beam and engaging the periphery of the front wheels of thetruck, cables connecting the beam with the running gear, certain of thesaid cables extending rearwardly and below the plan of the beam, aflat-spring secured to said cable, the other cable extending up wardlyand rearwardly of said flat spring, guides for the said latter cables,said guides secured to the running gear whereby when the handle israised or lowered the brake shoe will be applied.

9. In combination, a truck including a platform, front and rear wheels,running gear and pivoted handle, a transversely mounted flat-leaf springsecured to the pivoted handles, shoes on the ends of the flatleafspring, a flexible connection between the flat-leaf spring and therunning gear, brake shoes for the rear wheels, a bell crank for rockingthe rear brake shoes, a connection between the pivoted handle and thebell crank, and a guide on the pivoted handle through which the saidconnection passes, whereby when the handle is rocked on its pivot thefront and rear brake shoes will be simultaneously applied to the wheels.

10. In combination, a truck including wheels, running gear aiid pivotedhandle, flat-leaf spring secured to the handle, shoes carried by theends of the flat-leaf spring and adapted to engage the periphery of thefront wheels of the truck, cables connecting the flat-leaf spring to therunning gear above and below the pivoted connection of the handle,whereby the upward or downward movement of the handle will draw the leafspring inwardly to spring the shoes against the periphery of the wheels,substantially as shown and described.

11. In combination, a truck including the wheels, running gear and apivoted handle, a flat-leaf spring secured to the handle, shoes carriedby the end of the flat-leaf spring and adapted to engage the peripheryof the front wheels, cables secured to the leaf-spring and having theirinner ends secured to the running gear above and below the pivotalconnection of the handle, brake shoes for the rear wheels, and aflexible connection between the brake shoes of the rear wall and handle,whereby the movement of the handle applies the brake shoes on theforward and rear wheels.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

FRANK N. ROBINSON.-

Witnesses:

J NO. IMRIE, W. N. VVOODSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

